Slur gam assembly



J. H. CHILTON SLUR CAM ASSEMBLY May 29, 1951 Filed Nov. 22, 1949 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 INVENTOR. C/Ofin H 6%z'Zz 0/2,

A'ITD RN EYS Patented May 29, 1951 UNITED STATES PATENT '0' F F ICE SLUR CAM ASSEMBLY John H. Chilton, Williamsport, Md. Application November 22, 1949,- Serial No. 128,893

Claims. 1

This invention relates to knitting machines, and more particularly to a slur cam assembly for knitting machines.

In knitting machines usedfor producingfabrics such as full-fashioned stocking blanks, there is provided a slur cock or; slur cam assembly which is slidably arranged on the rail of the knitting'ma'chine. The slur cam assembly engages the jacks of the knitting machine and forces themiio'rwardly, to advance the usualsinker's with the yarn thereon into theiryarn-sinking positions; as is well known in the .art.

It has been found that during use of the knitting machine, foreign materials, such as needles, screws or nuts, sometimes fall into the jack bed to thereby interfere with the free motion of the jacks, whereby the jacks and sinkers will jam and the knitting machine will become inoperative. Further, in order to remove these foreign elementsfrom the jack bed, it is necessary to disassemble the machine to remove the foreign elements and replace parts that may have become broken or damaged.

It is, therefore, an object of the invention to provide a slur cam assembly which will yield or move backwardly out of the way upon reaching jammed or inoperative jacks, to thereby prevent injury to the working partsoi the machine.

, Another object of the invention is to provide a slur cam assembly which is normally held in operative position for moving the jacks of the knitting machine, and wherein the parts of the slur cam will move rearwardly upon engagement of the jacks that have been jammed by screws, needles and the like which have accidentally fallen into the jack bed, thus eliminating danger to the parts of the machine.

A further, object of the invention is to provide a slur cam assembly for knitting machines which is extremely simple and inexpensive to manufacture.

Other objects and advantages will be apparent during the course or" the following description.

In the accompanying drawings forming apart of-this application, and in which like numerals are used'to designate like parts throughout the same? "Figure 1 is a top plan view of'the slur cam assembly, showing the normal. position of the parts when the machine is running;

Figure 2 is a view similarto Figure l, but with the parts in their thrown position, as when the slur cam reaches jammed jacks;

Figure 3 is a rear elevational view of the slur cam assembly;

"Figure 4 is a-sectionalview; taken on the line 4-4 of Figure 1;

Figure 5 is a longitudinal sectional view taken through the slur cam assembly with" the parts in the position shown in Figure 1; l Figure 6 is a view similarto Figure 5, but with the partsin the position of Figure 2;

Figure '7 is a perspective View of the spring member;

Figure 8 is a perspective view of the cover;

Figure 9 is a perspective view oi. the regulator plate.

Referring in detail to the drawings, thenumeral 20 designates a housing or box that includes a pair of spaced parallel side portions 2| and 22. A web portion 23 connects the side portions 2| and. 22 together. Depending from the side portions 2| and 22 are front legs 24, and dependingly carried by the rear of each of the'side portions 2i and 22 is a rear leg 25. The legs 24 and25 define therebetween a recess 26 for slidably engaging or receiving therein the usual rail of the knitting machine.

The upper surface of the housing 20 is provided with a channel 21, the channel 21 extending between the side portions 2! and 22. Slidably or reciprocably mounted in the channel 21 is'a cock bar 28. A cam 29 having cam surfaces 31 thereon is secured to the front end of the cock bar 28 by suitable securing elements, such as the screws 30, Figures 1 and 2. The slur cam 29' engages the usual jacks of the knitting machine and forces them forwardly to advance the sinkers, the sinkers carrying yarn thereon, whereby the sinkers will be moved into their yarn-sinkingpositions, as is well known in the art, as the housing 20 moves or slides along the rail,

Secured to the'other or rear end of the cock bar 28 is an eXteriorly-threaded stem 32. A knurled knob or nut 33 is mounted on the threaded stem 32 so that by properly manually rotating the knob 33, thecock bar 28 and the slur cam 29 can be adjusted to a desired position relative to the jack bed of the knitting machine.

Arranged in spaced relation above the cock bar 28 is-a cover- 3 1. The cover 34 is providedwith a pair of openings 35, and suitable securing e1emen-ts, such as bolts 35, are projected through the openings 35 and into the side portions 2| and 22 for maintaining the cover a e assembled or connected to the housing 20. The cover 3 is also provided with a slot 31 in its lower surface for a purpose to be later described. Slidably' arranged inthe slot 31 of the cover '34 is the tongue 38 of a regulator plate 39, Figure 9. The regulator plate 39 is provided with a rectangular cut-out All in its rear end for receiving therein the knurled knob 33. Thus, as the knurled knob 33 is moved 'rearwardly, the regulator plate 39 is also moved to the rear. The regulator plate 39 is also provided with a transversely-extending slit 4| adjacent its rear end.

For'normally maintaining the slur cam 29 in its'forward position, a resilient means is provided. This resilient means comprises a spring member 42, Figurev '7, which has one end. connected to the cover 34 by a suitable securing element, such as the bolt 43. The bolt extends through an opening 44 in an end of the spring member 42,

and the bolt 43 is arranged in threaded engagement with a threaded aperture 45 in the cover 34. The other end of the springmember 42 is shaped'to define a transversely-"disposed lip 46 which is adapted to seat in the slit 4| in the regulator plate 39. When the slur cam 29 enages jammed jacks, the spring member 42 will 5. Thus, as the housing slides along the rail of the knitting machine, the slur cam 29 engages the jacks to force them forwardly, thereby advancing the usual sinkers with the yarn thereon being forced into sinking position, as is well known in the art. In the event that a foreign element, such as a needle, screw or nut, accidentally falls into the jack bed, normal movement of the jacks will be prevented, so that the jacks or sinkers will become jammed and inoperative. Then, by means of the construction of the slur cam assembly of the present invention, damage will be prevented to these parts when the slur cam 29 engages the jammed jacks. Thus,.when the slur cam 29 engages the jammed jacks, the slur cam 29 will move rearwardly, thus forcing the cock bar 28 rearwardly, and this in turn will result in the threaded stem 32 and the knurled knob 33 being moved to the rear position. This rearward movement of these parts is permitted or accomplished by means of the spring member 42 which has its lip 26 normally seated in the slit 4|. That is, when the knitting machine is operating normally, the lip 46 is seated in the slit 4| to maintain the slur cam 29 in engagement with the jack bed. However, when the slur cam 29 reaches the jammed jacks, the pressure on the slur cam 29 will be sufficient to force the regulator plate 38 rearwardly to thereby unseat the lip 46 from the slit M. This movement of the regulator plate 39 occurs because the knurled knob 33 projects through the cut-out 40 in the rear end of the regulator plate 39. After the foreign element, such as a needle, screw or nut, has been removed from the jack bed, the parts can be manually moved or returned from the position shown in Figures 2 and 6 to their normal position shown in Figures 1 and 5, whereby the knitting machine can be used in the usual manner.

From the foregoing, it is apparent that a slur cam or slur cock assembly has been provided which will enable knitting machines to operate safely and conveniently, since the slur cam 29 will be permitted to move back out of the way in the event that a foreign element drops in the jack bed. By using the slur cam assembly of the present invention, it will not be necessary to waste time in replacing broken parts What is claimed is:

1. In a slur cam assembly for a knitting machine, the combination with a housing, a cock bar slidably .Tarranged .in said housing, and a slur cam secured to one end of said cock bar, of a threaded stem arranged in engagement with said cock bar, a knurled knob mounted on said threaded stem, a regulator plate slidably arranged in said housing, there being a recess in said regulator plate for receiving therein said knurled knob, and means for normally maintaining said slur cam in its forward position.

2. The apparatus as described in claim 1, wherein said last-named means embodies a spring member.

3. The apparatus as described in claim 1, wherein said last-named means comprises a cover secured to said housing, a spring member having one end secured to said. cover, the other end of said spring being bent to define a lip, there being a slit in said regulatorplate.

for receiving therein said lip.

4. In a slur cam assembly for a knitting machine, a housing provided with a recess in its lower surface for slidably engaging a rail of the 'knitting machine, said housing including a pair of spaced parallel side portions defining a channel therebetween, a cock bar slidably arranged in said channel, a slur cam secured to the front end of said cock bar, a threaded stem arranged in engagement with the rear end of said cock bar, a knurled knob mounted on said threaded stem, a cover extending between the side portions of said housing and secured thereto, there being a slot arranged in the bottom of said cover, a regulator plate positioned above said cock bar and slidably arranged in said slot,

, there being a rectangular cut-out arranged in in the knitting machine, and, further, the cost in engagement with the rear end of said cock bar, a knurled knob mounted on said threaded stem, a cover extending between the side poistions of said housing and secured thereto, there being a slot arranged in the bottom of said cover, a regulator plate positioned above said cock bar and slidably arranged in said slot, there being a rectangular cut-out arranged in said regulator plate for receiving therein said knurled knob, and means for normally maintaining said slur cam in its forward position, said last-named means comprising a spring member having one end secured to said cover, the other end of said spring member being bent to define a lip, there being a slit in said regulator plate for receiving therein said lip.

JOHN H. CHILTON.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS 

